Chapter Three
Parker
Even though Sienna and I polished off two bottles of wine the night before, I woke bright and early with a spring in my step. Today was the day I’d propose to Rachel. It was about time for us to go to the next level, and I was sure Rachel was as ready as I was. Yesterday was the first time I was happy when Rachel said she wanted to stay at her place for the night. If she’d stayed with me, I feared I wouldn’t have enough preparation for the proposal. Besides, I’d risk her finding out the surprise before I even got to say the words. And I wanted this to be perfect.
And I needed my best friend’s help.
I was almost six-thirty when I arrived at Sienna’s place. There was a chill in the air, but it was predicted to be a sunny and warm day. It was the perfect weather for a proposal. Rachel and I would have an early dinner, just like she preferred, and I’d propose before the sun went down on the pier. It would be picturesque and everything that Rachel deserved.
I couldn’t help smiling as I jogged up to Sienna’s door and rang the bell.
After a few seconds, I rang it again. I looked over my shoulder and saw her car tucked into the garage. I knew she was here.
My finger hovered over the doorbell, ready to press it once more, but the door swung open in front of me.
“What?” Sienna said with a scowl.
Her hair was a tangled mess on one side, and she wore a tight black tank top and black lace panties. The majority of her tattoo scaled down her thigh.
I cleared my throat and tried to keep my eyes above her neck.
“Good morning?”
She groaned and turned around, walking into the house. “You know today is my day off, right?”
“Yes, but I need help with prepping for the proposal. You said you’d help in any way you could.”
She sighed. “At a normal hour! I didn’t get to sleep until after midnight and my head is killing me.”
Apparently, the wine had hit her harder than it had done to me.
“Let me make you some breakfast—”
“Don’t you dare touch anything in my kitchen. I don’t need this place to go up in flames.”
I suppressed a laugh. She wasn’t in the laughing mood quite yet. She was a bear when anything but her alarm woke her.
“Give me a sec,” she said.
A few minutes later, she emerged from her bedroom dressed in jeans, flip flops, and had thrown a white shirt over her tank top. Her hair was tamed and pulled back.
“You’re taking me to breakfast,” she said and grabbed her purse from the table.
“Anything you want,” I said.
“Do you know a place with strong coffee?”
After breakfast, Sienna was her normal self again. And after three cups of coffee, she was wired to help me out. We stopped by a craft store and picked up strings of white lights to hang on the pier. I could have easily paid someone to do this for me—and they probably would do a better job—but I wanted this to be a special and personal moment for Rachel and me. Besides, I had a bigger job in mind for Sienna, and I wanted to make sure she’d be up to the task after Rachel said yes.
As the day wore on, I started to get a little nervous about the proposal. I didn’t want to admit that to Sienna; I had a feeling she thought I was rushing things. But like a good friend, she didn’t push her views on me—at least not all the time. We were almost thirty; I could make the decision on my own.
When we finished stringing the lights along the pier, I realized I only had two hours to finish and get ready. Sienna and I were drenched in sweat from the heat that day; it was warmer than normal for April, but the breeze across the water had kept us semi-cool. I had to shower and pick up Rachel in time for our dinner reservation. We were going to our favorite place overlooking the pier, and then I’d walk her down the pier and propose. I looked out over the water and it sparkled as if thousands of diamonds floated over the surface. I gently patted my pocket that held the diamond ring for Rachel. I’d bought it yesterday morning after breakfast at Sunny Daes. Once I saw it, I knew Rachel would love it. The way that everything was falling into place built up my confidence that this was the right thing to do.
“I think we’re good here,” I said and gathered the packing material from the lights. I’d have a hell of a time getting them back into the boxes after it was all said and done, but I’d worry about that another time.
“It looks great,” Sienna said, admiring our work. I’d noticed she hadn’t spoken much during the day while we hung the lights. I had a feeling she’d come down from her caffeine high, so I didn’t want to bother her by pushing her to talk.
I nodded. Even in the late afternoon sun, the pier now had a sense of romance to it. It was the perfect setting for the proposal.
Sienna helped me carry the boxes to my car and put them into the trunk.
I closed the trunk and snapped my fingers, remembering that I’d wanted to get Rachel a bouquet to put her in the bridal mood. “I need flowers.”
She pointed across the street at a flower stand. “How about there?”
I knew Rachel liked roses, at least she always said so when I sent them to her. But there was only one bouquet of red roses left, and they looked a little wilted. Next to them were bright white ones.
“What do you think of the white ones?” I asked.
“They seem fine to me.”
“Not red?”
“Red, white—it doesn’t matter. It’s the thought that counts.”
Giving Rachel wilted red roses wouldn’t impress her much, so I purchased the white ones. “All right, white roses it is.”
Sienna suggested we leave the roses with the maître d' at the restaurant so I could give them to Rachel before the proposal.
When I pulled into her driveway, Sienna practically jumped out of the car. I didn’t think she’d had that bad of a time, but maybe she wanted me to get on my way so I wasn’t late.
I leaned out the open window. “Well, thanks again for helping. I needed a woman’s touch.”
“It’s not like I had much of a choice with you barging in on me.”
I smiled. “You had fun; admit it.”
She rolled her eyes. “Think what you want.” She started up the path to her house but turned around halfway there. “You sure you’re ready to be a fiancé?”
I nodded. “Yes.”
“As long as you’re sure.”
“I am. I’ll call or text you later.”
She nodded and turned away. I could have sworn I heard her say, “Good luck,” but I wasn’t quite sure. I hoped she didn’t think she was losing me as a friend. Nothing could get in the way of our history, but I wasn’t going to press her about it. I’d just have to show her she’d never lose me.
When I got to Rachel’s, she made me wait outside for almost thirty minutes before she came out. And it was well worth the wait. She wore a sexy red dress with matching lipstick. Something primal stirred inside of me. Yes, this was definitely the right decision.
I went to kiss her on the lips, but she moved away from me. “I don’t want my lipstick to smudge. It’s still setting.”
I led her to the car and got a glimpse of her underwear beneath her dress.
I had to take a minute after closing the car door to collect myself. Maybe we could finally have sex after the proposal. I’d love to remove that dress from her body as soon as possible.
When we got to the restaurant, we were only seated on the balcony for a few minutes before Rachel wanted to go inside after claiming the wind was messing up her hair. I should have thought of that. After generously tipping the server and offering to pay for drinks for a couple that we relocated, we were able to get a spot overlooking the pier from the dining room. The staff quickly cleaned the table and reset it for us.
“You should have got this table to start,” she said, looking out over the pier. “It’s perfect in here, and I don’t have to ruin my three hundred dollar blowout.” I didn’t remind her that I’d been the one to pay for the blowout.
I took her hands in mine. “Anything for you.”
The rest of the meal went off without a hitch. I ordered the most expensive bottle of champagne and we polished it off before our entrees came: a filet mignon for me and a house salad for her. We didn’t have dessert; Rachel didn’t care for sweets, and I was so nervous I wanted to get the proposal out of the way so I could spend the rest of the evening with my new fiancée.
After paying the check, I excused myself to go to “the bathroom” and asked Rachel to meet me downstairs at the entrance.
“I can wait here,” she said. “I don’t want to stand there like a moron waiting for you.”
I glanced at our server. “I think they need to clear the table for the next people.”
“They can wait,” she said, pouting her red lips.
I didn’t want to push the issue since it might alert her to something going on. So I left the table, went downstairs to retrieve the flowers, then came back up and handed the bouquet to her.
“Oh!” she said and smiled. “Flowers for me?”
I opened my hand to her. “Let’s take a walk out on the pier.”
The sun was setting over the horizon, and the lights looked perfect. Rachel admired her roses and cradled them in her arms like a baby.
“Were these lights always here?” she asked. “I don’t remember seeing them before.”
“No,” I said. “I put them up.”
“You did?”
“Yes. I wanted to make this moment romantic and special for you since you deserve the perfect memory.”
“Memory of what?”
I dug my hand into my pocket and retrieved the ring box that contained a five-carat diamond ring. I dropped down to one knee and held out the box to Rachel.
Her mouth opened in a wide ‘O,’ and she quickly covered it with her free hand.
“Rachel, I know it’s only been a year, but I can’t stand another minute of not being engaged to you. I’ve known from the first time I saw you that I wanted you to be my wife. Will you marry me?”
She grabbed the ring box and then squealed with delight. “Oh my god! Yes!”
I stood up and helped her with the ring, slipping it on her finger. She held her hand out in front of her. “It’s perfect.”
I kissed her long and hard, and she didn’t protest about her lipstick this time. Relief spread through me. I knew it was what she wanted, and I loved seeing her so happy.
I held her in my arms, and she leaned her head against my chest. “This is so perfect. I can’t believe you did this.”
“Sienna helped me,” I admitted. I hoped Sienna and Rachel could somehow fix the issues they had with each other, and maybe Rachel being married to me would help.
“Did she also help you pick out these flowers?”
I tilted my head. “Yes, why?”
Rachel sighed. “I was wondering why you picked white flowers instead of red.”